Former Red Sox owner Harry Frazee forever changed the destiny of two franchises with one move – selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees, most maintain, to finance a Broadway musical. The Red Sox stayed under .500 for 15 years. The Yankees, well, they became the Yankees.

Rod Thorn, on the other hand, impacted the history of two franchises, the Bulls and the Nets, with two separate moves 17 years apart.

In 1984, he drafted Michael Jordan for the Bulls.

In 2001, he acquired Jason Kidd for the Nets.

“Two pretty good ones,” Thorn said, laughing.

Kidd last night made his first return to the Meadowlands since he was traded to Dallas in February. With Kidd, the Nets became a power, twice going to the Finals. With Kidd, the Nets doubled their victory total the first season, going from 26 to 52 in 2001-02, a Finals season.

“That first year, [before Kidd], we couldn’t guard. We didn’t rebound the ball. We didn’t play very well together,” Thorn said. “Those are his strengths. Rebounding the ball for a guard, getting people to play together with his passes and guarding people. At that time, he was an outstanding defensive player so he helped us in every area we were weak in.”

When Kidd’s time ran its course in Phoenix following off-court troubles, Thorn pounced, swapping Stephon Marbury in likely the greatest trade in Nets history.

“I thought Jason could help us. But the way he played? I never envisioned that. He was unbelievable,” Thorn said. “One of the better turnarounds.”

Even better than the 11-game swing Jordan managed in Chicago, though the Bulls sort of had a better overall run with His Airness. Fortunately for the Bulls, they didn’t have the first pick in ’84. If they did, Thorn would have selected Hakeem (then Akeem) Olajuwon, another Hall of Famer who had enormous success – but not Jordanesque success.

Jordan was Thorn’s second choice and he fell into the Bulls’ lap when Portland opted for center Sam Bowie.

“[Portland GM] Stu Inman told me a month before the draft that if Bowie passed his physical, they would take him,” Thorn said. “A week before, he told me he passed. He was an upstanding guy, there was no reason to think he wasn’t telling the truth.”

So Thorn, picking third, got his second choice, who seemed to be virtually every team’s second choice except Portland.

“We would have taken Olajuwon if we had No. 1,” Thorn said. “Michael was our second pick. Anybody who tells you they would not have taken Olajuwon at that time is not telling the truth. Everbody would have taken Olajuwon.”

So Thorn was happy how it worked out. And he was pretty happy with another acquisition